Displaying items by tag: israel

One piece of good news is that for the first time in twenty years an unusually rainy winter has nearly filled the Sea of Galilee. Israelis consider rainy winters to be a blessing. ‘We are very excited because of this. It is very good for all of us around the Sea of Galilee: for agriculture, for farmers, for tourists, for everybody’, said the head of Kinneret Urban Union. After five years of drought, it has risen 18 feet in 2019 and 2020. The rise has been remarkable. Israelis are excited about it. ‘I am thrilled. We still treat it like our lifeline even though we do not drink the water any more. When I see a full lake, I want to sing, I want to cry out with joy. I am amazed by the grace of God,’ said tour guide Rachela Dotan.

Israel is threatening to shut down a Hebrew-language evangelical channel aiming ‘to take the gospel of Jesus into 700,000 Jewish households’. Under its newly issued license, Shelanu TV, an arm of God TV, is now prohibited from broadcasting content that subjects viewers to ‘undue influence.’ It is illegal to proselytise under-18s without gaining parental consent. The Likud party’s communications minister said that they will not allow missionary channels to operate in Israel under any circumstance, and has launched a comprehensive investigation to determine that no channel is violating the terms of its license: ‘if indeed this channel is engaged in missionary activities, it will be taken down immediately.’ Ron Kantor, Shelanu’s regional director, said his network had been entirely transparent during the licensing process. ‘I immediately asked them, 'Can we broadcast in Hebrew?' And the answer was an emphatic yes. We were told many times that laws have changed and there was no issue with our programming.’

Manufacturing clothes was once a pillar of Gaza’s economy, with 900 factories employing 36,000 Palestinians. But the industry collapsed in 2007 when Hamas seized control of Gaza and Israel banned the export of clothing from Gaza to Israel or the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Ziad Qassem’s 25 years as a tailor seemed worthless in the cruel blockade: unemployed, debt piling up, worried how he would provide for his wife and five children. Coronavirus came to the rescue. Demand for masks and protective gear soared worldwide. Gaza garment factories are flooded with new orders from Israel, ordinarily seen by much of Gaza’s Palestinian population as the enemy. Israeli rights groups have called for the permanent easing of restrictions that govern entry in and out of the Gaza enclave, home to some two million people, so that the economy can function more normally even after the pandemic. See

The Danish Bible Society has released a new translation of the Bible that omits dozens of references to Israel. It rewrites ‘the land of Israel’ as ‘the land of the Jews’ and the ‘People of Israel’ simply as ‘the Jews’. Defending the deletions, the society said they prevent confusion with the modern-day country, but other countries' names from that time, such as Egypt, have not been changed. There are 59 omissions out of 60 references to Israel in the Greek origin for New Testament texts. In other places, references to Israel are translated as referencing all of humanity. The Song of Ascents from the Book of Psalms, a popular Shabbat hymn for Jews, originally states, ‘He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.’ The new translation replaces Israel with the word ‘us’.

For the first time since Israel’s establishment in 1948, the country will soon have two prime ministers. Benjamin Netanyahu will be the active premier over the coming eighteen months, while Benjamin ‘Benny’ Gantz will be the ‘designated prime minister in rotation’ and replace Netanyahu in September or October 2021. Both Benjamins will enjoy the same government perks: an official residence underwritten by the government, a fleet of official automobiles, a Shin Bet security detail, and more. To prevent Netanyahu from reneging on the rotation agreement, an unprecedented ‘rotation law’ will codify the process and put it on automatic pilot. When voting on the government, Knesset members will authorise the process, including blocking the possibility of changing it. Netanyahu and Gantz will both be sworn in as prime minister, the only difference being that one will begin work immediately and the other one later.

In conjunction with Revive Israel — LIVE on YouTube and Facebook

Join us on the 7th of April (3pm Jerusalem)!

As the nations are shaking, in distress and great turmoil, many across the global Body of Christ are sensing that the Spirit of God is highlighting Passover this year in a significant way. They are hearing God summoning His people, Jews and Gentiles, to gather as one and commune at the Lord’s Table for this year’s Passover memorial. There is a holy alignment that God is birthing in His Global Church, His Ekklesia, that we may be one with one another and with Him.

On the very first passover, more than 3000 years ago, the Israelites were protected from the angel of death by the blood of the lamb that was applied to the door posts of their homes. They came under the protection of the Almighty God. Later that same night, they were called out and freed from Egypt that they might go and worship God, being led by His Presence to the promise land.

We believe we, His covenant people, are in such a time yet again. The Lord is summoning us to come under the shadow of the Almighty, and be covered by the blood of our true Passover Lamb, Yeshua. He is calling us out of our Egypt, our Babylon, the world systems and spirits that have defiled and entangled His Bride. It is time for the Global Ekklesia to rise and shine as One army in holy array, in the alignment of the Oneness of God, as One global family with His Presence!

This is the hour when Yeshua will be revealed and unveiled to the eyes of all, Jews and Gentiles, and to see His glory and for a great multitude to be brought into His family. It is time to enter the fullness of the unshakeable Kingdom of Jesus, the Messiah as it is manifest now, more than ever, in the midst of these global shakings. We are at the threshold of the greatest global revival the world has ever known.

For King Jesus and His unshakeable kingdom!

The event will be live-streamed on our Facebook account and YouTube channel.

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A damning report, prepared last year, has been released. It detailed Israel’s lack of preparation for a major epidemic. A pre-coronavirus scenario in the report (based on an influenza epidemic) expected about 2,250,000 infected residents (25% of the population) with an increase in morbidity spread over eight weeks, about 150,000 more hospitalised, 25,000 in intensive care, and 12,500 needing ventilation. The report stated that the health system was greatly burdened all year round, with many departments overcrowded, and there was a shortage of ICUs. Now there is a lack of protective medical gear, and problems with infection testing. Netanyahu said nobody was ready for corona.

Israel’s government has approved emergency regulations to enable the Shin Bet to perform mass surveillance of phones belonging to Israelis who contracted COVID-19. This is not to monitor quarantined people, but to track the movements of those found to be coronavirus carriers, to see with whom they interacted in the 14 days before they were diagnosed. Those who were contacted will receive SMS messages instructing them to enter home quarantine. Netanyahu announced the use of these digital counterterrorism measures, as one of several drastic steps to curb the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19. He acknowledged that the digital measures might interfere with people’s privacy, but he argued that Taiwan has successfully used similar means in order to stop the coronavirus spread. Public criticism and warnings by human rights groups mean that authorities must limit these measures to only thirty days.

On 2 March Israel held its third election in a year. Already huge Likud roadside billboards bearing the faces of Blue and White and the Arab Joint List leaders have been erected, stating, ‘Yes to a Jewish and democratic state, no to supporters of terror.’ Israel’s elections are not over. The party headed by Benjamin Netanyahu continues its campaign against the formation of a minority government by Blue and White with the support of the Joint List. Foreign minister Katz called members of the Joint List ‘terrorists in suits’. 64% of Arab voters support the Joint List joining the government, but the right-wing/ultra-Orthodox and many of the general public, including Blue and White voters, don’t. Knesset members are receiving constant curses and insults by those against such cooperation. Is Israel prepared for real cooperation between Jews and Arabs at the highest level?

On Monday 2 March, Israelis will, for the third time in a year, cast votes for a government. Proverbs 16:9 says ‘In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps’. Lord we ask you to encourage the hearts of the electorate to vote in line with your will. Since two elections with no final results did not take you by surprise, we ask for your purposes to be fulfilled in a clear undisputed election result. Also, Hamas has threatened to restart the weekly riots soon. Israel is supposed to have a cease-fire with Hamas but still rockets are fired and incendiary devices are flown against the Israelis living in that Western Negev area. Father, during this ‘lull,’ do not allow the IDF to become complacent. Protect the young ones from the fire balloons coming across the border which are specifically aimed at killing or maiming Jewish children.